Sewing-machine.



G. W. &' F. L. EBERLEY.

SEWING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED APR23, 1913.

Patented Sept. 5, 1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

'1 V V WITNESSES: NI/E/VTOIM.

G. W. & F. L. EBERLEY.

SEWING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 23, 1913.

Patented Sept. 5, 1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

WITNESSES:

GEORGE W. EBERLEY AND FRANK I1. EJBERLEY, 01F WHITESIBORO, NEW YORK, ASSIGN- ORS OF ONE-THIRD TO SAID GEORGE W. EBERLEY AND ONE-THIRD TO SAID FRAN K L. EBERLEY, BOTH OF ,WHITESBORO, NEW YORK, AND ONE-THIRD TO MOHAWK VAIILEY CAP FACTORY, 01E UTICA, NEW YORK, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

SEWING-MACHINE.

1.,ll97,1lll2.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 5, WW5.

Application filed April 23, 1913. Serial No. 762,997.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that We, GEORGE W. EBERLEY and FRANK L. EBERLEY, citizens of the United States, residing at Whitesboro, 1n the county of Oneida and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in SewingMachmes, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to sewing machines, and with respect to its more specific features, to machines of the character referred to, embodying work-cutting and work-guiding mechanism. a

One of the objects of the invention is the provision of a simple and efiicient machine of the character referred to.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a machine of the character referred to with practical means whereby one or-more layers of fabric may be efliciently guided so that the stitching or the cutting shall conform to a predetermined pattern.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a machine of the character re ferred to with practical cutting and guiding devices, by means of which the work may be efficiently cut and guided even by relatively unskilled operators.

Other objects will be in part obvious and in part pointed out hereinafter.

The invention accordingly consists in the features of construction, combinations of elements and arrangement of parts which will be exemplified in the construction hereinafter set forth, and the scope of the application of which will be indicated in the following claims.

In the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, and illustrating several possible embodiments of the invention:Figure 1 is a perspective view of a sewing machine provided with twin needles; Fig. 2 is'a view of a portion of the workcontrolling means in side elevation; Fig. 3

' is a longitudinal section, on the line XX of Fig. 2; Fig. {L is a plan of a double thickness of fabric partly stitched and severed; Fig. 5 is a view in front elevation and partly in section, disclosing portions of the presser foot, feed, dog, etc., associated with the stitching and cutting mechanism; and Fig. 6 1s a view of another embodiment of the invention.

In the use of sewiiig machines, it is highly desirable that the work or fabric operated upon shall be accurately guided relative to the mechanisms operating thereon, so that the result shall conform to predetermined outlines, such as that of a pattern. This is especially desirable in factories in which large amounts of work are turned out by operators, some of whom, probably, are skilled, but a large portion are unskilled in the manipulation of the machines employed to do the work.

It is obvious that the increase in the output of work has heretofore been largely dependent upon the familiarity of the operators with the machines employed, and upon their skill in manipulating the work in its passage through the operating mechanism of the machine. This is especially true of what may be termed flat Work, such, for instance, as trousers, undergarments, etc., and an efiicient device which will enable even an unskilled operator to'turn out more work with the same or even greater accuracy than the skilled operator is obviously much to be desired,

The present invention accomplishes the, I

results hereinbefore referred to, and others, in an efficient and novel manner, as will be apparent from the following description thereof.

Referring now more specifically to the drawings, the numeral lindicates a bed or plate upon which thp work is supported When passing through the machine; A bracket arm 2 is provided Witha reciprocatory needle bar 3 and a presser foot 4:. A slidable throat plate 5 is provided in the bed 1 and a feed dog 6 is adapted to move 95 within the latter and coact with the presser foot 4 when the latter is in its lowermost position. I, I

This invention lends itself to a machine which may be provided with stitching mechanism comprising twin needles, as illustrated in Fig. 1, or with a single needle, as illustrated in Fig. 6. When the work or fabric 7 is placed in operative position in the machine so as to be fed relatively to the stitching mechanism, the outline of the ltltt the pattern 8 engages, and by which the stitching or seam is ordinarily produced by the operator manipulating the fabric 7, mov-,

with the machine, so that as the machine operates, stitching or cutting, or both, may

be accomplished automatically in accordance with said pattern. In the preferred construction, the pattern 8, or the pattern desired, in this instance a sinuous line corresponding to the shape of an edge of a bifurcated portion of a garment, comprises a flange portion of a connecting, smoothing or flattening plate 9, which latter is adapted to rest upon the work, preferably on the up? per surface thereof and to adhere thereto so that the movement of the work will follow that of the pattern, the plate 9 operating as a tractive member and forming a connection between the work 7 and the pattern 8. Preferably the pattern 8 is formed at the edge of the plate 9. and said plate is provided upon its bottom with frictional material 91 which will cause it to remov ably adhere to the work or fabric. On its top portion the plate 9 is provided with a handle 10, by means of which it may be ma-.

' nipulated. The said plate 9 is also of sufficient extent to rest uponthat portion of the work preceding portions to be operated upon by the machine, thereby smoothing or flattening the work as it is presented to the needles or other operating parts.

The presser foot is provided with the usual slots or. openings for the needle or needles, and also with a guide 11 with which movement of: said pattern is so controlled as to cause the lateral edge thereof to be maintained closely adjacent the needles throughout the movement of the pattern, whereby the seam or line of stitching, and the cutting, as hereinafter referred to, will be made in conformance with said pattern.

In the preferred embodiment the guide 11 comprises a keeper or lug laterally projecting from the presser foot, having a slot 12 adapted to engage the pattern 8, and sufficient lateral play in the slot for the pattern 8 may be provided in order to permit said. pattern to pass therethrough at the curved portions.

. Attached to the needle bar 3 is a cutter, which in the present instance comprises a knife 13, a pin 14 and a cutting edge 15, the

latter being parallel to the direction of reciprocation of the cutter, for reasons herethe latter in its movements.

In operation, the pattern plate 9 is placed upon the fabric 7, adhering thereto by means of the frictional material on the bottom of said plate. The flange portion or pattern of said plate is engaged at its forward end with the slot 12 of the guide 11, this bringing the fabric, or a part thereof, directly under the presser foot, which is then lowered and substantially'pressed thereon and adapted to coact with the feed dog 6 in the usual intermittent manner. The needle bar is then operated, imparting to the needle carrier a reciprocating, rectilinear movement, and the feed dog is actuated in the usual manner with relation to said needle bar to inter: mittently clampand release the fabric to and from the presser foot, respectively, and, by means of its serrations or teeth, which contact\with the under surface of the work to move the fabric, carrying thereon the plate 9, step by step into position for sub sequent successive 'reciprocations of the needle bar.

As the fabric is moved intermittently along on the bed 1 carrying the pattern plate in engagement with the guide 11 on the presser foot, it will be obvious, upon refthe shape of the pattern that it is desired to stitch and cut. The knife 13 has an extending portion below the points ,a of the needles, in order that even whenthe needle bar is'in its uppermost position and the needles accordingly free and clear from the fabric, the knife is in engagement therewith.

In Fig. 5 of the drawings will be seen more clearly certain features of this invention. It will be noted that the knife 13 therein shown fixed to the needle carrier 16 has its cutting edge 15 disposed at a right angle to the bed or plate 1, and also parallel to the direction of reciprocation of the needle bar. The

presser foot and feed 'dog areactuated and 1,197,112 tit governed, as is usual in sewing machines of this type, in accordance with certain movements of said needle bar, and the time of feed of the fabric extends from a time when the needle points have disengaged said fabric, after concatenation of the threads, to a time proximately preceding the 'rengagement thereof. In other words, the feed dog 6 moves the fabric forward a predetermined distance between stitches during the period that the needle bar 3 is actuated to move the points of the needles from the position shown in Fig. 5 to the uppermost position indicated at 18, which they assume in their reciprocation and return them to the first said position, substantially. The knife 13 being relatively fixed to said needles moves in a like manner during the period of actual feed of the fabric, and if, in Fig. 5, the Vertical distance between one of the needle points and said upper position 18 thereof is laid off on said knife, downwardly from the plane of feed of said fabric, providing points 19 and 20 thereon, the distance between said points on the cutting edge of said knife may be designated as the actual cutting edge thereof, inasmuch as said edge, being vertical and having its reciprocating movement in a vertical plane, does no cutting in the present embodiments except when the fabric is forced thereagainst, as by the feed dog 6, which is during the time that some portion of the cutting edge between points 19 and 20 is in cutting relation with the fabric. Furthermore, it is to be noted that the cutting takes place-in both directions of reciprocation, as the fabric, is in actual movement against the knife during substantially the period of travel of the needle points-from the position occupied in Fig. 5 to the point 18 and back to said position. This provides a cutting means giving a short shearing cut in either direction, highly desirable over a forced puncture or a long shearing cut in one direction, in that itgives a more even edge to the fabric, and obviates the tendency to tear and break the fibers thereof.

As many changes could be made in the above construction and many apparently widely different embodiments of this invention could be made without departingfrom the scope thereof, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

- Having described, our invention, What we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. In an apparatus of the character described, in combination, feeding means with which one face of the work is adapted to contact, stitching mechanism comprising a pair of needles, a' pattern guide, a pattern movable with the work and cooperatively-associated with said guide, and a cutter disposed rearwardly of said needles to sever the work between the lines of stitches subsequently to the formation of said stitches.

2. In an apparatus of the character described, in combination, feeding means with which one face of the work is adapted to contact, stitching mechanism comprising a pair of needles, a pattern guide opposite the other face of the work, a pattern movable with the Work and cooperatively associated with said guide, and a cutter adapted to sever said Work between the stitching lines.

3. In an apparatus .of the character described, in combination, feeding means with which one face of the work is adapted to contact, stitching mechanism comprising a pair of needles, a pattern guide opposite the other face of the work, a pattern movable with the work and cooperatively associated with said guide, and a cutter disposed rearwardly of said needles adapted to sever said work between the stitching lines subsequently to the formation of the stitches.

4. In an apparatus of the character described, in combination, feeding means with which one face of the work is adapted to contact, stitching mechanism comprising a pair of needles, a pattern guide opposite the other face of the work, a pattern movable with the work and cooperatively associated with said guide, and a reciprocatory cutter adapted to sever said work between the stitching lines.

5. In an apparatus of the character de scribed, in combination, stitching mechanism, work feeding mechanism, comprising apresser foot and a feed dog intermittently coacting to feed the work, a pattern comprising a projecting edge, a pattern guide fixed on said Presser-foot, a work flattening plate, and engaging means between said pattern and the Work adapted to cause said pattern to be moved with the work.

6,][n .an apparatus of the character described, in combination, stitching mechanism comprising a needle carrier, work, feeding means comprising a feed dog adapted to contact with the Work to be stitched, a pattern, a pattern guide, means whereby said pattern is moved by the movement of the Work, and means adapted to sever the Work adjacent a line of stitching comprising a knife mounted on said needle carrier.

7. In an apparatus of the character described, in combination, stitching mechanism comprising a needle, work feeding means comprising a feed dog adapted to contact with the under surface of the work to be stitched, a reciprocatory knife disposed to sever said work adjacent a line of stitching, a pattern guide, and a pattern resting freely on the upper face of the work and adapted to cooperate with said guide to cause the &

work to be severed and stitched in lines determined by said pattern.

8. In an apparatus of the character described, in combination, stitching mechanism comprising a needle, Work feeding means comprising a feed dog adapted to contact with the under surface of the work to be stitched, a reciprocatory knife disposed to sever said Work adjacent a line of stitching, a pattern guide, a flattening plate having a friction surface resting freely on'the upper surface of the work to be stitched, and a pattern on said plate adapted to cooperate with said guide.

9. In an apparatus of the character described, in combination, stitching mechanism comprising a pair of needles, work feeding means comprising a feed dog adapted to contact with the under surface of the work to be stitched, a reciprocatory knife disposed to sever said work between the stitching lines, a pattern guide, a flattenpreing plate having a friction surface resting= freely on the upper surface of the work to be stitched, and a pattern on said plate adapted to cooperate with said guide at the same side of both needles at a point adjacent said needles.

10. In an apparatus of the character described, in combination, feeding means with which one face of. the work is adapted to contact, stitching mechanism comprising a needle, :1 pattern guide opposite the other face of the work, a plate adapted to rest on the work comprising a projecting pattern portion adapted to cooperate with said guide, and a cutteradapted to operate rearward of said needle.

In testimony whereof we afiix our signatures in the presence of two witnesses.

GEORGE W. EBERLEY. FRANK L, EBERLEY. Witnesses:

C. H. OAKES, M. C. SHA'UcHNEssY. 

